November 19, 2010

Let me first clarify, I have no way to substantiate my Thanksgiving Day Feast Hypothesis; 'said' TDF Hypothesis is based strictly on here-say of lovely customers over the last few weeks, but here it goes -

TDF Hypothesis: I think that 1/3 of our lovely customers cook the Thanksgiving meal at home, 1/3 of our lovely customers go to someone's (dear relative's) home for Thanksgiving, and 1/3 of our lovely customers dine out (The Club).

If 'said' Thanksgiving Day Feast Hypothesis is correct, than 1/3 of you can spend the weekend researching which blockbuster movie you wish to spend an hour waiting in line to see and the other 2/3 of you should continue reading on.

Let me dedicate the first section of this stimulating (ha, ha) blog post to our dear customers (and devoted blog readers) who have dedicated their lives to creating those perfect family memories. In those 'perfect-family-holiday-memory-scenarios', children(s) are: dressed appropriately with shoes on, phoneless, and exchanging lively banter amongst themselves with no hitting or tears. Husband has learned how to pre-program DVR and is secretly recording his (stupid) football games instead of locked away in a remote room by himself. All family 'units' are participating in some type of willing conversation with extended family, and dear Mother-In-Law is distracted enough by charming off-spring to stay out of your kitchen (for the time being) while you prepare (slave) to make the best Thanksgiving Day Feast in your Domestic Goddess career.

The Thanksgiving Day Feast has so many components that it (8-10 dishes) could easily be construed as being incredibly stressful. The reason that I think the meal is stressful is because you (Domestic Goddess) are trying to serve 8-10 dishes (turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, another gravy, green beans, biscuits) reasonably hot at the same time with typically little help from 'said' charming offspring, and overly sports stimulated husband, while under the ever watchful (glaring) eyes of Mother-In-Law.

As a 'said' proven Hostess-With-The-Mostess, I have learned over the years to let go of the things that you can't control (8-10 dishes served simultaneously hot) and focus on the things that you can control like a beautifully set table. May I remind you of the saying - First Impressions Are Everything.

Just picture this scenario - You announce dinner is ready (on time). Everyone (your loving family) assembles to the dining room. You are in the kitchen frantically getting 'it' all together. And, you over hear your Mother-In-Law in a rare monumental compliment -

"My, doesn't everything look beautiful."

Husband lets out an unconscious sigh of relief (actually, he's very proud). Son grumbles that he's glad 'we' didn't go to The Club, and teenage daughter (eye lids covered in the most God awful light blue eye shadow) claims that when she grows up, gets married and has everyone (you!) to her house for The Thanksgiving Day Feast, she wants it to look exactly like this.

Domestic Goddess Bliss, ahhh.

To Set The Perfect Thanksgiving Feast Dinner Table, It Is All In The Details

Dinner Candles

I love the shade of these tea-stained colored beeswax tapers.

Flowers

How charme are these fall colored hydrangeas?!

Insider Blog Tip: Sprinkle beautiful flowers around your home for an unexpected 'pop' of fall color.

Velvet pumpkins in various greens and golds shown with Juliska cake stands.

Table Linens

Sferra 'Festival' Hemstitched Linen Napkins shown in Chocolate, Curry, Cinnabar (also available in Oyster and White). Set of 4 for $39. Cocktail napkins available also.

Casual Flax Colored Napkins

Just in from Belgium! Placemats and tablecloths to match!

Plates

Insider Blog Tip: I choose to not serve my Thanksgiving Day Feast on pastel pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. I prefer a neutral colored plate and really play up the table linens, flowers, and decor for a festive fall affect.

Glassware

Insider Blog Tip: I like to serve a nice white wine with my Turkey Feast, perhaps a Cote du Rhone Guigal or Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and I always have a water glass set at each guest's place. Chances are irritating brother-in-law will be less obnoxious if he has something else to drink other than too much vino.

Flatware

Insider Blog Tip: I always set my dinner table with the entire place setting of flatware. I'm not showing off; I just think it looks nice at each place setting to have small fork, big fork, knife, big spoon and small spoon.

Serving Pieces

Think ahead in regards to what dishes you are serving and how you are going to serve 'said' dishes.

Gravy(s)

In terms of 'drippage,' best to also set out Sauce Boat Ladle and Sauce Boat Mini Tray.

Cranberry Sauce

The scrumptious red berries will look beautiful in this glass bowl by Match. And, how cute is the pewter spoon by Arte Italica?

Sweet Potatoes

Oval Pyrex dish/ pewter serving dish by Match, oven-to-table ready.

Turkey

Over-sized pewter platter by Match, even if the Turkey doesn't turn out just as you expected, 'it' will at least look delicious on this stunning fall motif platter.

Decor

These velvet pumpkins are beyond Gourd-geous! In fact, the velvet pumpkins are gourd-ilicious, ha ha.

Real Insider Blog Tip: I, personally, plan to use the velvet pumpkins as informal/formal centerpieces on my Thanksgiving Day Tables.

and, as . . . .

place card holders, too charme.

Well, there you have it, - all my best suggestions for overly impressing your dear, sweet family on a most memorable Thanksgiving Day Feast. Who knows, maybe you will even crack a smile out of that staunch mother-in-law of yours.

November 17, 2010

If there is one thing that I don't stress out about in my overly hectic (seasonal) life, it's preparing the Thanksgiving Day Feast (The Feast) for my dear friends and family. The main reason that I can be so nonchalant about the whole affair (10 dishes/for 10-14 guests) is because I have prepared this exact meal since I was wee bitty.

My dear Mother thinks the kitchen is ideally more suited for storage space than for home-making; so with that thought in mind, you can imagine why my Father solicited my help as soon as I was tall enough to see over the kitchen counter and old enough to be able to play with knives.

As soon as I had my own place to live, my dear Mother relinquished (dumped) Thanksgiving to (on) me. No worries for moi because I absolutely love preparing (fix'n) the dinner and getting to keep (hoarding) all the leftovers!

- - - - -

As you can imagine, in my own typical OCD fashion, I have several lists that coincide with The Feast. (In fact, I even have a 'Master List' of all the lists.)

1 Week in Advance

Guest List - I have a fun mix of family and friends. Many of my friends are from out of town and can not go home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas so it is great fun for all (and, a great family buffer!) that they come (help prepare) The Thanksgiving Feast.

Blog Insider Tip: Just because you don't smoke, doesn't mean you're lovely guests don't smoke. A truly gracious hostess thinks of all her guest's needs - I always have a charming little area set up with designated ash trays, matches, and even extra ciggies for my guests (and husband).

To Do List (for gardner) - I wait until the very last minute to plant the pansies, dianthus, and violas. In this crazy Houston weather, you can have an 80 degree day / followed by a 50 degree day / followed by another 80 degree day. November in Houston can wreak havoc on a winter wonderland garden.

Blog Insider Tip - Skip the mulch. Trust me, you do not want to mulch before a big dinner party. Think . . . ahem, what is mulch made of?

To Do List (for housekeeper) - Wash all windows, dust chandeliers, polish silver trays and flatware, wipe down crystal glasses, iron tablecloth and napkins. I don't even need to mention to my housekeeper that my dear Mother (The Inspector General) will be attending The Feast again this year. The house is scrubbed (sterilized) from top to bottom; devoted housekeeper understands that it's not just my reputation at stake but her's also. My dear Mother has been known to walk through my front door, look around the room, and muse, "So, I see your maid must have been off again this week."

In my defense, I have 2 ginormous messy dogs and the sprinkler system seems to always be set at 'ON', grrr.

To Do List (for moi) - Create everyone else's To Do List. I am the grand puppeteer of To Do Lists. If it weren't for moi, they (people I pay) wouldn't know (imagine) how much there is to do to prepare to serve a memorable Thanksgiving Day Feast.

- - - - -

Days in Advance

Grocery Shopping List - Very necessary to have menu in place by this step.

Plates: I don't want my lovely guests holding back at the buffet table because they can't fit everything they desire on the plate; so, I super-size and use Chargers.

Dinner Candles: I do not like dinner candles burning during the daylight hours. Surely, you comprehend the not so mysterious tradition currently behind using dinner candles - ambiance. For there to be 'said' ambiance, you will need a slight variation of light - darkness / lightness.

Flowers: Should be seen and not smelled. Floral centerpieces should not compete with the delicious aroma of your Feast Day Meal.

- - - - -

The Menu

Fresh Cranberries Sauce

1 c. water

1 c. sugar

12 oz. fresh cranberries

juice from 1 orange

Bring water, juice, and sugar to a boil. Sprinkle in cranberries. Boil rapidly until berries pop. (about 5 minutes) Turn off heat and let stand. Cool for an hour, or so. Refrigerate for several hours.

Well, we all know the female race (Hens) are more tender than their male counter parts (Toms). To get her in the mood, start with a good rub down (butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, and plenty of rosemary). Tell her how you plan to spend the day with her (baste, baste, baste). Compliment her on her golden skin. Whisper to her how good she smells. And remember, a little wine never hurt anyone (especially, the chef).

Martha's Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 lbs. of yellow potatoes. Washed, peeled, and cut into quarters.

8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese - cut into pieces (You will be tempted to buy the reduced fat, but try not to.)

*This particular dish is made off site and brought over that day. I always drop off a charming serving dish ahead of time so everything matches (but, you probably already guessed that, tee hee.)

Angeline's Grammie's Farm Gravy

A.D. (chef/guest) Tip - "This is my Grandmother Angeline's gravy recipe. It looks easy, but since Grammie never measured, I'm never quite sure on the quantities. It works because Issac always cooks a richly flavorful turkey (usually with rosemary) and the gravy utilizes the turkey drippings."

3 - 4 Tbsp Flour

Cold Water

Mashed Potato Water

Turkey Drippings

Salt/Pepper

Mix: Flour and cold water into a roux.

Stir: Roux into Turkey drippings

Add: Mashed Potato Water

Finish: Salt & Pepper to taste

"This is a courageous recipe. No quantities defined, no limit on how much or how little to add or to stir. I recommend a glass of wine while preparing. Wine can also be added to gravy," Angeline cautions.

- - - - -

Ta Da!

Muffled Applause!

I Like to Serve My Turkey Day Feast Buffet Style

Otherwise, I would never get a warm bite to eat because I would constantly be popping up to refresh Pop Davis' plate. Pop Davis has hovered around the '3 servings' range for years.

November 19, 2009

As promised, I would like to share some of my favorite tried-and-true Turkey Day recipes with you. Word of warning, these recipes are not for the weak of stomach. You will be asked, upon occasion, to use the entire stick of butter and add another cup of sugar. You need to mentally prepare yourself that Turkey Day is once a year and you can resume your rigid, lifeless way of dieting the other 364 days a year. These recipes call for strength, denial and a lot of butter and sugar!

Every year, I pull several of my Turkey Day recipes from my all time favorite cookbook -

A.D. - This is my Grandmother Angeline's gravy recipe. It looks easy, but since Grammie never measured, I'm never quite sure on the quantities. It works because Issac always cooks a richly flavorful turkey (usually with rosemary) and the gravy utilizes the turkey drippings.

3 - 4 Tbsp Flour

Cold Water

Mashed Potato Water

Turkey Drippings

Salt/Pepper

Mix: Flour and cold water into a roux.

Stir: Roux into Turkey drippings

Add: Mashed Potato Water

Finish: Salt & Pepper to taste

"This is a courageous recipe. No quantities defined, no limit on how much or how little to add or to stir. I recommend a glass of wine while preparing. Wine can also be added to gravy," Angeline cautions.

Turkey Day Hostess Tip:Mini bar set up in kitchen for hostess (me) and chefs/guests. Spirits can provide great liquid courage while cooking and fun verbal folly when things start to heat up, or burn. (Every year, and I mean, every - I burn the first round of biscuits. So now, every year, the guest chefs tease - "What time do we start burning the biscuits?" Still not funny.

My mini bar.

Turkey Day Hostess Tip: If your guest's mouths are continuously full of food, they have less opportunities to say something inappropriate or insulting at the dinner table.

Turkey Day Hostess Tip: I know you've been to the grocery store at least three times already, but don't forget to buy yourself something to eat for dinner Wednesday night and breakfast Thursday morning. Every year, my husband and I forget to buy regular food to eat during the Turkey Day Feast preparation. And, if you are going to over indulge like my family and friends due at Turkey Day, it's best to have a solid base in your stomach first - say eggs, bacon, those delicious buttermilk biscuits, and some fresh orange juice.

November 15, 2009

I feel like this is a good place to stop and explain myself a little. I feel as though many of you either have or are creating a false impression of me. The other day a lovely customer (and, one of my favorites) commented in frustration to me, "I just don't have it together this year - something is just off. I read your blog and I shop at your store - How do you do it? How do you do everything so perfectly, and, the worst part is - You make it look so easy?" So, let's just nip that kind of silly projection in the bud (or is it butt?) The definition of projection is attributing your own repressed thoughts to someone else. For those of you who don't understand 80's psychobabble that means basically you think that everybody else's life is a bowl of cherries.

Yes, I do have a lot going on. The two stores are very busy this time of year but as we like to say down here in Texas - 'It's not my first rodeo.' This year will be my eleventh Christmas at Indulge. How do I do it? How do I keep it all together? How do I make it all look so easy? Well, you know at the end of the kid's books when the wise old guy tells the likable main character "You always held the answer within." (Or, some baloney like that.) Well, you do hold the answer within, and it's actually something you can do yourself. The answer is make a list.

MAKE A LIST.

Every single morning when I wake up, I sit down with my coffee, a pen and paper, and I make a list for that day. And by list, I mean my Top 10. What are the ten most important things I must do that day? I make the list by priority and then again by what could be easily accomplished in groupings together - Don't be a starfish running all over town, spinning your wheels. Group your errands together. For example, if we are low on wrapping supplies for the store, then we will plan on going to the bank, post office, and pick up wrapping supplies all at the same time, and hopefully grab lunch. Five errands, one excursion - thirty minutes.

You have all heard the expression 'Live by the sword, Die by the sword.' Well, that is how seriously I take my list. 'Live by the list, Die by the list.' My list is portable. I make my list at home and then I immediately put it in my purse. It goes with me to the store and sits next to my keyboard in plain view for the duration of the day. The reason I like to write my list on paper is the sheer satisfaction of crossing items off the list as they are completed. I love the look of a crossed out list.

DELEGATE.

When the girls walk in, I read off the list and we see which items can be divvy-ed up. The girls love to be asked to help and they like to stay busy - it helps the day go faster.

ASK FOR HELP.

Now, all that sounds great, right? Really helpful tips - Make the List, Delegate, and Ask for Help. 3 simple things. But, perspective is important too. Focus on the big important stuff, don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on what you didaccomplish that day notwhat you didn't. At the end of the day be pleased with your effort and start the next day's list. Anything that wasn't accomplished moves to the top of the next day's list.

What about the small stuff? Well, that's where my cracks start to show. I can get all the big stuff right, but I just lose it on the small stuff. For instance - one thing out of the ordinary occurs in the morning and I forget to put on deodorant. I don't know why it's the deodorant but it's always the deodorant. So, I keep an extra mini travel size in my purse and another at the store. There's an 'ole saying - 'Horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies glow.' Well, I've got to tell you, down here in Texas during the summer when the heat index is around 100, I fall more under the barnyard animal classification. That's a small thing that can turn into a big embarrassing thing by the end of the day.

So, the holiday season is upon us. You are starting to feel overwhelmed. Why? What is it that has you so overwhelmed? Write it down. Start your list. Maybe break the lists down by categories. Let's start with Thanksgiving. That's at the top of my personal list right now.

THANKSGIVING HOSTESS LIST:

To Do List - House Chores:

Go through each room and check to see if you need to replace light bulbs. Then, do the same outside. Husbands are very good at this type of chore. Thank him when he has finished and be sure to tell him what a big help he was, wink wink. You couldn't have done it without him sort of thing.

Does anything embarrass you? For instance, your guests will be sitting on the same couch your teenage son and husband lie on every Sunday to watch endless hours of sports. This would be a good time to notice if you smell feet. Walk into the room and breathe deep. Chances are either your couch and/or throws smell like feet. This would be a good opportunity to wash the throws.

Stinky Feet!

For me, it's not so much the feet as it's my dog Ricochet likes to treat my slipcovers as her own personal napkin and wipe her mouth/doggy beard down the sides of my couch after every meal. Each one of my sofas seem to have a doggy wainscoting down the back. When I ordered my couches from Quatrine, I ordered two sets of slipcovers - a spring/summer ecru cotton and a fall/winter flax linen. This would be a good time to change/wash those slipcoversor at least check your cushion covers for stains.

Ecru Cotton Slipcovers.

Flax Linen Slipcovers.

To Do List - Guest List:

I have what I call an 'Orphan Thanksgiving.' Many of my friends have moved here from out-of-state and it's too much to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I make sure that I ask my girlfriends who are not from around here if they have plans for the Thanksgiving Holiday. This simple act of kindness has turned into The Greatest Holiday Advice That I Could Possibly Give aThanksgiving Hostess -Invite a Friend. Whatever family dynamics you fear around the holiday will certainly be minimized by friends on hand. My Father who is very comfortable talking about the health of his prostate within family gatherings restrains from this topic in front of my girlfriends and sticks more to the weather and current events.

To Do List - Menu:

I have served basically the same Thanksgiving Dinner Menu for the past twenty years. This topic is not open for discussion. There will not be any deviation from 'said' tried-and-true menu. Unlike Martha Stewart, who makes it all look so easy with a staff of lord knows how many, I actually have to do all this myself with only the help of my husband and my sweet girlfriends who are eager to roll their sleeves up, add a little extra deodorant, and stand over a hot stove and sweat a bit. Ask for Help - My husband is a great help with the grocery shopping and the Spec's Liquor Store run.

After 20 years of cooking Thanksgiving Dinner together, everyone knows their responsibilities. We are like some kind of cooking-poetry-in-motion phenomenon. The chief-chef participants are: I., A.D., A.H., and C. - we are Team Thanksgiving. (Delegate.) Each of the guests who are chefs or is it chefs who are guests are responsible for certain dishes. I love the idea of too many cooks in the kitchen, that's what makes it fun to me.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce - C. By special request from my Father.- always fresh, never out of a can.

Stuffing - C. One batch prepared to stuff turkey with and another batch prepared and cooked separately in the oven for my mother who overly fears poultry bacteria.

Chalfonte Sweet Potatoes- A.H. I drop off my charme rattan/pyrex casserole dish and she prepares these off site in the comfort of her own home while watching some trashy T.V. show like N.J. Housewives.

Oval Rattan/Pyrex Casserole Dish, in 2qt and 4qt.

Martha's Mashed Potatoes - A.D., A.H. & C. It's not like any of us needs the others' permission to use the whole stick of butter.

Green Beans - C .Nobody really eats these but I feel better if there is one thing that is green and not a starch.

Buttermilk Biscuits - C.

Farm Gravy - A.D. Prepared as the turkey is being carved with the drippings from the turkey. It's the piece de resistance of the Turkey dinner because it is heavily poured onto every item on your plate. We don't tell A.D. but we always have a backup in the fridge - something store bought from whole Foods, you know, just in case.

Pies- One Pumpkin Pie for my Father and one Pecan Pie from Goode Co. BBQ for everyone else. Like I said, I'm no Martha Stewart. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I serve store bought desserts. I don't have time to bake two pies, besides Goode Co.'s Pecan Pie is the best I've ever had. (Would make a great hostess gift if you are invited to my, I mean someone's, house for T. Day.)

Team Thanksgiving Tip: Keep your recipes as simple as possible.

(I'll share all these recipes next week on a separate posting because they are kind of long once you put them all together.)

Like I've said, I've spoken to all my chef/guests, and family/guests and we are all so excited about Thanksgiving. I'm getting my house kind of pulled together, and I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving. If you're not there yet, and you are starting to stress out about your family coming and the meal. Don't forget to try my Thanksgiving Hostess Tip - Invite Some Friends Over.Trust me, there are a lot of things your family won't bring up when a non family guest is sitting at the table. Wouldn't you look forward to a meal that your entire family might be on their best guest behavior. Perhaps, you might sweat a little less yourself. Maybe at the end of the evening, you might even feel that My-Dinner-Party-Was-A-Complete-Success-Glow. (Glow meaning shine, not female sweat, tee, hee.)

Good luck, and why don't you think about replacing some of those tired old cherries that might be lingering in your head with some fresh cranberry thoughts for the Holiday Season? (That was a metaphor if you didn't catch the Holiday humor.)

Gobble, Gobble.

P.S.- You might start thinking about starting your Christmas list right about now. Don't you know the most famous list maker of all has already started his - The Big Guy Himself, Santa.